2016 SWAC Volleyball Tournament Bracket Released

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s volleyball tournament is set for November 18-20 on the campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. It will be a single-elimination tournament, with the quarterfinal round being held at T.B. Ellis Gymnasium and the remainder of the tournament taking place at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center.

Alabama State posted an unblemished 18-0 conference record, earning the regular-season crown and the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The clinching moment came on Nov. 12, as the Hornets swept rival Alabama A&M. The Hornets managed to win 15 of their league games in straight sets, only dropping three sets all season against conference opposition.

Match 1: No. 1 seed Alabama State vs. No. 8 seed Grambling State, 11 amAlabama State swept Grambling in both of the teams' matchups this season, winning three of those sets by double-digits. Briana Dorsey averaged 10.5 kills against the Tigers, who are making their first tournament appearance since 2011. Kevreion Ward posted 15 total kills in those matches. Justus Tuiolosega posted a combined 44 assists for the Hornets vs. GSU.

AAMU and PVAMU split their two meetings, with the home team winning each time. In the Oct. 3 meeting, PVAMU won in four sets behind Taylor Goudeau's 23-kill effort. Calli Jordan Hensch and Larissa Martinez chipped in 11 kills each. In the Nov. 5 contest, 2016 Player of the Year Ashundria McNeal notched a double-double (12 K, 11 D) to lead AAMU to a four-set win.

Match 3: No. 3 seed Southern vs. No. 6 seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 4 pm

The home team won each meeting between the two, resulting in a 1-1 season series. UAPB won a five-setter on Sept. 30 as three players posted double-digit kills and freshman Britney Sahlmann put up 42 helpers, 10 digs and five kills. Southern gained a measure of revenge on Oct. 29 in four sets, as three of its own put up at least ten kills and Vaterra Calais notched a double-double (24 A, 13 D).

Texas Southern swept the defending champion Jackson State in both meetings this season, as Kali Fluke posted a combined 19 kills and 12 blocks in those contests. Arianna Salas averaged 25 assists per game for JSU, who got 14 kills from Tamisha Barry over the course of the matches.